


Frostbites And Lover's Kisses

by Maitoparrakas



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Character Study, Early Relationship, F/F, Kissing, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-02
Updated: 2019-04-02
Packaged: 2020-01-01 02:29:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18326843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maitoparrakas/pseuds/Maitoparrakas
Summary: Surrounded by seemingly endless snow, Mei reflects upon her life, both past and current.





	Frostbites And Lover's Kisses

The Russian tundra in Murmansk was akin to a sleek icy desert, where the playful and cheeky winds shifted snowflakes upwards in dancing spirals, sparkling whenever their steps carried them under the streetlights' circles, yet they left no footprint of evidence upon the soft white dance floor. Soon the masses of snow would shift into another complex sequence, where sky and ground were inseparable, direction had limitless possibilities and no man-made piece of orchestral music could keep up with the twists and turns of these dancers. It was as if the spirits of winter themselves had draped the ethereal form of stars and descended among mortals to celebrate the frozen night. This breath-taking fair seemed more than inviting, almost suffocating with all the liberty and freedom it flashed in the turn of the heel and playful smile, but Mei-Ling was content being a spectator than to step away from the safe alcove of the Russian Defense Forces' base. Instead, she let the winds that had escaped the vortex twirl around her and tickle her cheeks, drawing a rosy blush on them. Rest of her was tightly bundled under several layers of cold-resistant clothing, where no icy gust of wind could reach and sap away her warmth. Only dance she took part in was inside her thoughts, while she surveyed the outline of the base.

The few buildings that formed the RDF's U-shaped structure were like an architectural quilt woven together from reusable red tiles and wooden materials of the ruined town and patches of a more modern but already worn-down metallic surface. Most of the building seemed as if it had been a school of sorts, even the white and black clock, striking ten minutes till eight, was still vigorously counting hours of the day even when all the students had grown up and left the school grounds decades ago. Mei wondered where the long-gone students might be now, how far they had traveled from these familiar grounds? Would they still occasionally reminiscence the place they grew up? Would they cherish or loathe those memories? Mei often found herself to be as interested in these questions as much as studying the environment itself. As fascinating and essential her studies of climate change were, she often took also interest in the beings living in it, including humans and omnics. What would be a world without no one there to call it home? Not a better one in Mei's notes at least.

Mei herself had never felt homesickness towards any the cities she had lived in, mostly because of her mothers' scientific research for UN kept the family hopping from one city to another all around Asia and later when Mei had reached her early teens, the rest of the world. After waking up from the cryostasis she had found out that her mothers had finally settled down in Qinghai, both to focus more on themselves after giving so much to their careers, and to fight against the desertification of the province. Yet Mei never had had a similar need for a place of her own. The Eco Point in Antarctica might be what she could've called- well, if not home, at least something, but she hardly felt prepared to return there anytime soon, if ever.

Many had hailed her as a hero after she had returned to the world from the snow-buried remains of the storm-struck base, but Mei barely understood their way of thinking: She had not done anything heroic, hadn't saved the world or anyone, hadn't even been there when the HQ of Overwatch was bombed down- if something, she'd been the damsel in distress, the princess sleeping and passively waiting for a savior while time hurried along with the rest of the world. In the end it was up to her to save herself, and all the research she could. But why she was the one being praised, why not the five others who had been there as anxious and out of options as she had been while the blizzard raged on and rations had been consumed to the last drop of water, heaters in the room they were gathered getting slightly colder every minute while the generator was running out of electricity-

 

"The cold is sneaky like an old lover, if you let the door open it'll soon make itself home again" a familiar voice of another woman shook Mei out of her spiraling thoughts. She was wearing a white overcoat that stood like a fortress of warmth against the cold gusts of the night, contrasting pink hair peeking under the brim of the hat.

"That is what my babushka used to say during winter storms like these", Zarya flashed her trademark grin and placed a soft, slightly tingling kiss on Mei's forehead while dusting off a few loose crystallized snowflakes caught in her hair, " still, she's a fierce one."

"The storm or your grandma?" Mei asked with a deep blush that was not only caused by the cold anymore.

Zarya chuckled and answered: "Both, I'm sure. Are you alright?"

"Yes, it's just..this reminds me of the blizzards we used to have back in the Antarctic", Mei reminisced, " It wasn't unusual that those would last for days, and we'd have to stay cooped up in our quarters...it's rather strange to feel nostalgic about it even after-, I mean, when we're almost on another side of the world."

Zarya leaned her head to a side and had a thoughtful look on her face when she answered: "I don't know about that. Is it really that strange?" She gestured towards the building while continuing: "I mean, I've been in this little town only a handful of times, but it still felt like returning my old hometown the first time I saw it. I swear there was exactly a school clock like that back in my old elementary. Though it was slightly late all the time. At least, that's what we argued with the teachers whenever we ourselves were late to the class", Zarya concluded her explanation when she noticed Mei staring intensely at her direction and asked her: "Ah, am I babbling too much?"

"N-no, I think that's fascinating!" Mei was stumbling in her words like an unlucky thief caught stealing a precious gem, "It made happy to hear that it's not too strange, I was glad to hear your thoughts."  
"Oh, um, you are welcome", It was Zarya's turn to have a blush as pink as her hair.

 

Neither of them had words to share for a moment or two. Some outside their circle would have dubbed the scene awkward, yet those who knew either of the lovers would've seen more - the relaxed posture of the soldier, the scientist's ceased habit of fiddling her clothing, both exchanging glances when they thought the other would not notice when in fact they both noted everything about the other - all signs of a content existence with each other.

"As kids, we used to race towards the winds like these until we were out of breath", Zarya continued on after a while, " They were whipping our faces like it wielded tiny daggers made of ice, yet proving our worth and fighting against the storms was the greatest joy in our days. It really made me feel alive, to stand tall against the intense force of nature."

"I would like to experience that with you" Mei suggested, and Zarya light up immediately.

"Come on, let's run!" She tapped Mei by her shoulder and gently pushed her along, like a sweeping gust that couldn't be held down by any earthen force.

 

The snowy cloak scrunched under their feet while they ran. Mei had to run a few steps for every giant leap Zarya took, but she soon noticed that the other woman was keeping a pace that matched hers. The rushing winds surrounded them so that the rest of the world was visible only in blurry shapes and soft glows of light and blizzard. The wind took your breath away - quite literally. It was all so overwhelming, like an icy maelstrom had descended upon them, but Zarya - the tall, the strong, the beautiful Zarya - extended her hand for Mei to hold, and she grabbed it tightly.

 

It could have been mere minutes,  
or it could have been short of an eternity. 

 

It was Zarya first who started laughing, her voice like an avalanche. The sound of it made Mei feel weightless, as if the storm had lifted her skyward, and she laughed along with her. Hearing Mei's voice, Zarya turned around and picked Mei up to an embrace, spinning her in the air while they both continued to giggle. And so the pair joined the nightly ball of snow and stars, shining as radiant as the wonders of the world around them.

 

Finally, the wind had slowed itself down to a gentle whisper and the stars had returned back to the black abyss above all, yet Mei hardly noticed these things as they made their way back to base, locked tightly and cozily in arm-in-arm. Before reaching the entrance, Mei leaned at Zarya and said: "I have been thinking... when I'm ready to go back to Ecopoint, I want us to together. I want to show them that I've found my place."

Zarya nuzzled close to Mei's face and said: "I'll be with you when that time comes."


End file.
